At the time of writing this post, less than twenty projects have been submitted to the contest, but with just under two months left to compete, I’m sure there will be plenty more to come. I’ve picked out a few entries that have caught my eye, to highlight some of the great and diverse projects currently seeking funding.

After losing his virginity to a stranger, a confident but naïve gay teen contracts an STI that causes his flesh to transform into a living gun.

What a fascinating concept! In his project page, Zac mentions that the idea for Weaponized came to him when he was “[…] watching a news broadcast where a scientist said if we started treating guns like a disease we’d find a solution to gun violence much quicker.”

The sample chapters showcase Zac’s skill with visceral, suspenseful prose and open a window into a grisly world of “inside-out men” and “swords made from sharpened spinal cords.”

For anyone who has the stomach to preorder, Zac has offered to share the whole, albeit draft, contents of the book right away.

Lamotrigine in Canada Bad MedicineFar at the other end of the horror spectrum and currently standing tall in the contest, undoubtedly in fabulous heels, is Bad Medicineby Ricardo Henriquez. Of all the books in the contest, this one has – arguably – the most exciting and unexpected tagline:

The Walking Dead meets Ru-Paul’s Drag Race. An up-and-coming drag-queen faces a poorly timed zombie apocalypse. Can she wield a machete and still look good in Jimmy-Choo?

Yep, you read that right. Talking about taking a tired genre and turning it into something fresh and new. Though, at the time of writing, there’s only one chapter available to read, Ricardo’s prose has such a strong tone and voice that it’s easy to see why almost 40 readers have backed Bad Medicine.

Stacey’s boyfriend and girlfriend have been taken by dark, shape-shifting creatures. A stranger in their home says that she was their target. To save herself and her lovers, she must join that stranger. To become like him, a Ward of the South.

This is urban horror with plenty of spit, grit, and shadowy monstrosities. There are a whopping 11 chapters already available to read on Ward of the South‘s project page, so settle in with a mug of something dark and bitter and lose yourself in Cem Bilici’s world.

If all of that has left you wanting more, head over to the contest page where you can explore dozens of other novels.